6 Really Cool Things That Pope Francis Has Already Done During His Papal Visit
I’m not sure if you guys have heard yet, but Pope Francis is in the United States.
Of course you’ve heard! He’s all over the news! Pope Francis is now on a tour of the East Coast, hitting up the areas around D.C., Philly and NYC from September 22-27. The whole country is following his every move, and he has already made some waves! Here are some awesome things Pope Francis has done in just the first few hours of his U.S. visit.
1. He set some reporters straight on the plane
Does the Holy Father ever stop? The answer to that is NO. While most people like to rest up and maybe take a little snooze on the plane, Pope Francis is always on his game! He invites reporters to ride with him and answers their (bad pun alert) pressing questions.
Yesterday on the plane from Cuba to the U.S., an Italian reporter asked the pope to respond to rumors that he is “left-leaning” in his economic and environmental teachings. Pope Francis shut down that statement, by assuring the reporters that he is church-leaning. He stated, “I’m sure that I haven’t said anything more than what’s written in the social doctrine of the Church.” BOOM.
2. He was super practical
We know that Pope Francis doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Therefore, when he disembarked the plane at St. Andrews Air Force Base, what he did was no surprise.
He took off his beanie! (There’s actually an official name for it, but no one knows that.) With the wind blowing and the crowd chanting, Papa Francesco didn’t have time to worry about his hat. How many times have you seen the pope’s bare head? Not many, I’ll tell you that.
3. He chilled with the crowd
The pope has a pretty tight schedule, so it’s really cool to see that he still finds time for hanging out.
On his way to the arrival ceremony at the White House this morning, Pope Francis greeted the crowds lined up along the streets with hugs, kisses, and kind words.
4. He modestly rolled up to the White House
Pope Francis is well-known for his simple taste. Fittingly, his choice of wheels for his U.S. visit is a tiny Fiat. The 500L model (that sells for under $20,000) is just right for carting the pope around D.C.
5. He dropped some truth bombs…
…and he and the President are still totally chill! #Respect
In his remarks at the White House, he opened with some food for thought regarding immigration and religious freedom. Pope Francis then voiced his support for President Obama’s environmental efforts stating, “Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation.”
In all of this, he stressed that justice for the most vulnerable in society should be the priority of all American Catholics and people of good will.
6. He got real with the bishops
At St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Pope Francis didn’t shy away from hot-button topics. Instead, he addressed the bishops as brothers, urging them to help shepherd their communities.
He got real about past sex scandals, asking the bishops “to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated.” He got real about the pressing justice issues of abortion, hunger, war, immigration, etc. telling them that “it is wrong to look the other way or remain silent.” The pope also gave wise words on how to approach these issues pastorally. He urged the bishops to approach these issues in their congregations through dialogue and stressed that “harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart.”
And there’s more to come…
At this point, this is all we have for you. Keep looking forward to the awesome things to come from Pope Francis’s U.S. visit! Here are 6 more things to look forward to:
- Canonization of Junipero Serra at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- Address of Congress (He’ll be the first pope to speak in front of a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives!)
- United Nations General-Assembly in NYC
- Huge Mass at Madison Square Garden
- Visit to Festival of Families and prayer vigil with World Meeting of Families
- Visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility
Want to see everything? Check out the live stream of the papal visit!
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